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VVSD Officers

Phil Landis, Chief Executive Officer
Mr. Landis enlisted in the United States Army in 1965. After attending various military schools, he served in Vietnam from 1967 - 1968 as a Platoon Leader and Headquarters Company Commander with the First Battalion Thirty-Fifth Infantry. He was honorably discharged from active duty in 1969 with the rank of Captain. He is a native Californian and was formerly employed by Re/Max Ranch & Beach as a Real Estate agent. Mr. Landis became a Board member of Veterans Village of San Diego in 1996, Vice-Chairman in 1997, Chairman in 2001, acting Chief Executive Officer in 2007 and Chief Executive Officer in 2008.

Harry Guess, Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Guess brings over 20 years of Executive and Financial management experience as a Senior Military officer and non Profit Executive. As a Navy Supply corps Officer, he served afloat in the Submarine, Aviation and Surface Warfare communities and while assigned ashore advanced to certified subspecialties in Finance, Retail and Logistics. Since retiring from the Navy in 1998, he has served in local community non profit organizations as a Chief Financial Officer and as a Chief Administrator. Mr. Guess became Chief Financial Officer for VVSD in 2008.

David Siegler, Vice President of Grants and Special Projects - In 15 years at VVSD, Mr. Siegler has risen from Grant Writer to Operations Manager to Vice President of Grants and Special Projects. Over the years, he has raised more than $60 million for the agency. Mr. Siegler oversees the grant applications for 14 different programs at VVSD.

Andre Simpson, Vice President and Chief Operations Officer, Programs – An Air Force veteran, Mr. Simpson was previously Director of Community Reintegration for VVSD, and has been associated with VVSD for over 10 years as a counselor and case manager. He has developed many new and exciting initiatives for VVSD, including the development of the monthly Homeless Court Program, a 150 bed veteran seasonal shelter, and a Non-Custodial Parent Program in collaboration with San Diego County Department of Child Support Services.

Kenneth Rae, Vice President and Director of Employment Services - After graduating from the State University of New York college system with a B.A. in Economics, Mr. Rae enlisted in the US Army as an Infantryman and was Honorably Discharged in 1979. He has been with VVSD for over 13 years, starting out as an employment case manager. For more than a decade he has successfully managed several US Department of Labor employment and training programs that have provided employment and training services to veterans throughout San Diego County. He currently serves as Vice-Chair for the Veterans Employment Committee of San Diego County.

Jim Hickman, Vice President and Facilities Director – During his enlistment in the United States Navy, Mr. Hickman experienced the reality of life and death decisions. Through his own recovery journey at VVSD, he has progressed from resident to his current position of responsibility for all non-clinical aspects of this organization. A licensed building contractor, he is best known to staff and residents alike as the man who makes things happen. Mr. Hickman is most comfortable behind the scenes where he is involved with everything from the basic needs of the residents to the long-term vision of Veterans Village of San Diego.